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Hilton Head Fishing Report | February Fishing

Well, we are smack in the middle of the winter fishing season and you might be wondering what to fish for but not real sure if it’s too cold to get a bite but I can assure you that the fish still bite when it gets cold. In fact, we have been enjoying some really good fishing both inshore and on the nearshore wrecks over the past few months.

Inshore:

Right now our target inshore fishery is by far redfish and they have been biting very well. These fish are still schooled up on the shallow flats which have been providing us with excellent sight fishing opportunities over the past few months. Though we have been doing well with light spinning tackle the fly fishing has been exceptionally good so let’s take a deeper look at what it takes to have success with the fly. The three most important factors to consider while fly fishing for winter redfish are: Tackle, Presentation and Fly Selection. As for tackle; I generally use a 9 foot 8 weight fly rod which is pretty standard for most inshore saltwater fishing. For winter fishing you need to pay special attention to the line and choose one that is specifically designed for cold water fishing (I generally change out my summer and winter lines when the air temperatures start to hover above or below 75 degrees). Additionally, try using as longer leader to keep from spooking these fish in clear water. Presentation is equally important and being proficient with the saltwater quick cast will pay off big in getting the fly to fish quickly before they see you or the boat. In practice; work on dropping the fly at 50-60 feet with no more than three false casts. As for fly selection I generally like to use smaller flies (3-5 inches) with more natural colors such as olive, black and brown because of the ultra clear water clarity…remember the fish can see better in this clear water too!

Nearshore and Offshore Wreck:

Right now the best action around the nearshore wrecks is sheepshead fishing. On the other hand, many of the fish that we would generally like to target during this time of the year have been closed down. These species would include: grouper, red snapper, bee liners and black sea bass…what can I say, there are plenty of them out there but all restricted to harvest. I have always been a very conservative fisherman (as have most of us) but have been left scratching my head as to why many of these fisheries have been completely closed. One backlash that I can see because of these regulations are that they will ultimately put more pressure on the fish that we can still keep such as sheepshead and even inshore fish. In the end, I feel that it will be up to each of us as recreational anglers to stay with in the law considering closed fisheries while still showing restraint with the fisheries that are still open.